Ending the longest playoff drought in the majors -- a stunning 28 seasons -- the Kansas City Royals finally find themselves with at least a wild card berth following a 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night in Chicago.
Royals clinch first playoff spot in 29 years
Nearly 30 years have passed since the last time the Royals made the playoffs, but our long national nightmare is over after a 3-0 win against the Chicago White Sox.
Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
The Royals (88-72) still have sights set on the American League Central, just one game back of the Tigers (89-71) with two to play.
Royals clinch
After a Norichika Aoki triple sparked a three-run outburst to begin the game, the Royals’ Jeremy Guthrie simply shut down the White Sox. The right-hander struck out six in seven scoreless innings, scattering four hits and a walk.
With ace "Big Game" James Shields in the last year of his contract, reaching the postseason was critical for a team that has spent much of the last three decades in one rebuilding plan or another.
With just two games left in the regular season, Kansas City’s worst-case scenario is probably playing the Wild Card Game in the friendly confines of Kauffman Stadium. The Royals are one game up on the A’s, and Kansas City owns the tiebreaker over Oakland, having won the head-to-head season series; the A’s would have to win both of their final games, and the Royals lose both of theirs, for the game to be held at the O.co Coliseum. Their best-case scenario is passing the Tigers and skipping that play-in game entirely en route to an ALDS matchup against the Orioles. Either way, Royals fans will see a playoff game featuring their team for the first time since the 1985 World Series.
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